Duke versus Northwestern

Colleges & Universities Duke University
1

<p>Okay, so I was accepted both by Duke and NU. (Duke let me know I had been accepted because I was a merit scholarship finalist).</p>

<p>I still have to hear back from Ivies but until then, I want you guys to tell me where you think I would fit better. I am 90% certain I will go with Duke because I feel we are more compatible but I could be mistaken. I mean, being an international student, websites and student reviews are my only sources of information.</p>

<p>So here we go: I intend to pursue a career in Earth Sciences/ Environmental Sciences and my biggest passions are rock climbing, caving, trekking and nature in general. This is why I dream to become a sort of traveling scientist (an earth scientist who spends 3 months studying a volcano or a biologist who examines a species of insects for example and then goes back to the lab to write down her observations and publish them - something like that).</p>

<p>This is why my dream school has to have a strong Earth Science/Biology department, which I think applies to both Duke and NU.</p>

<p>Second, it has to have a climbing gym on campus or close by. Duke has a climbing gym on campus that is open for a lot of hours every day so that’s cool. But by using google maps and google in general, I also found a climbing gym very very close to NU’s campus. So Duke has an advantage of course, because I could go to the gym for free and it would be much more accessible but I would have to be a fool to let this aspect decide where I go.</p>

<p>Third, I don’t really need a big city close by because I really like isolation and wilderness. So Duke seems like a better choice but I’m afraid this could backfire. Durham is 120 miles from the Appalachians while Evanston is like light years away from any mountains but I’ve been told that 120 miles are still a lot if you don’t own a car.</p>

<p>I don’t own a car so the only chance for me is to find a cool Outing Club with members who own cars and go on trips. And I don’t know if this is more likely to happen at Duke (where I am limited to Duke campus and small Durham) or at NU(where Chicago’s endless opportunities are… endless).</p>

<p>What do you guys think? What do you know about the Outing Club? Do they go on trips regularly? As an international student, will I be able to integrate into the club, make friends and go on trips with them? </p>

<p>P.S.: Sorry if my sources are fallacious or if I am misinformed…</p>

2

<p>I haven’t applied to Northwestern so I don’t know much about the school to give you a comparison. Congrats on being admitted though! :D</p>

<p>I’m just curious since you are international as well - are you also a finalist for the Karsh Fellowship?</p>

3

<p>Nope. I am a University Scholars Program finalist.</p>

<p>Congrats to you too.</p>

4

<p>First of all, congratulations - two great schools. I went to Duke and now live in Chicago and have been to Northwestern many times and have some knowledge of it. For outdoor activities and that type of lifestyle, I’d say hands down Duke is the better choice. Two hours west are the mountains and two hours east is the coast. (Do you have any interest in marine biology? … because that program at Duke is supposed to be great in Beaufort.)</p>

<p>Duke does have an Outing Club and it is a great way to travel around the region and do things outdoors. I don’t know about Northwestern. I guess you could go to Wisconsin or some forest preserve around the Chicago area, but I really think your nature choices are much greater in NC. Not to mention the fact that the weather will be better to enjoy the trips! I never had a car early on at Duke and took many Outing Club trips to see the area.</p>

<p>One final thing: what people either don’t realize or brush over is that Northwestern is not in Chicago, really. It’s a decent ride to get into the city so don’t count on that being a frequent activity unless it is really important to you and you make the time and effort to do it.</p>

5

<p>Thank you devilbear. Your answer really helped. I will most certainly go with Duke, unless there is a major difference in the aid packages.</p>

6

<p>If you are interested in environmental sciences/earth sciences, I think Duke’s program is better hands down. I transferred from Rice to Duke just for the environmental science program. As you probably already know, Duke has an entire school of the environment, Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences. EOS (Earth and Ocean Sciences) here is a small department from what I heard, but my students have loved their experience with both the EOS and ENV (environmental sciences) department. Plus, Duke has the Duke Marine Lab in Beaufort, NC, and you can spend a summer/semester there. I had a blast when I was at the Marine Lab. Additionally, Duke has the Duke Forest, which is 6,000 acres of forest often used for research. Nevertheless, you can hike there or camp there during certain times.</p>

<p>For your interests, it seems that Duke is a much better fit. Best of luck, and hope to see you at Duke!</p>

7

<p>Even though this was written a while ago, Duke has gotten much more selective:</p>

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<p>[Duke</a> still step below top schools | The Chronicle](<a href=“http://dukechronicle.com/article/duke-still-step-below-top-schools]Duke”>Duke still step below top schools - The Chronicle)</p>

8

<p>Yes, I would have definitely chosen Duke over NU but now I have also been admitted to Princeton.</p>

<p>I swear to God I would have preferred a rejection because I really want to go to Duke. But now the choice will be very difficult to make. However, if Princeton does not reconsider my financial aid package and Duke awards me the University Scholars Program full scholarship, the next plane tickets I will buy will have Raleigh-Durham as their destination.</p>